R50/53 Andre's MINI Adventure
#1
10-12-2003 | 07:41 PM
Thread Starter
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5th Gear
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 726
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From: Fleming Island (orange park basically) FL
Andre is my 2004 MCS. Go to the second post for my abbreviation of all this (4 pages in word!). Hope you enjoy it.
Ok, the story begins…
Friday
It’s Friday night and I cant sleep, I finally fall asleep at 5 am something but am woke up at 6:30 am so I only got an hour and a half of sleep (remember this, it’s important).
Saturday
After I awake from my NAP we (mom and dad) go wash the Yukon at a drive thru, my brother had to pull some people out of the mud (he told the parents that he hit a puddle or something), and then we go eat breakfast at some little place, food wasn’t that good and I wanted to just go to the dealership right away.
It’s now 9:40 am and we arrive at the dealer (Tom Bush MINI, Jacksonville, FL), coming down the street we are looking in the building for Andre and don’t see it (kinda sad it wasn’t inside, I’ve seen them inside before) so we look out on the lot, bam, the only Electric Blue on the lot, all Electric Blue. For some reason we just go straight inside and meet Scott (my MA) (maybe because we wanted to get the car, lol, nothing against the dealer). At this point in time we loose track of time and so I’ll give estimates along the way. We are talking to Scott about casual stuff, joking around, not even business related, and then mom gets down to business with him, after about 20 minutes inside listening to them Scott goes in the back to do something so dad says, “you want to go outside and look at it?” and I said “ya.”
Me and dad go outside (it’s parked on a MINI sized patch of concrete outside of Scotts desk, they don’t have offices there, it’s all windows) and I break out the digi and start snapping away, taking pics of everything. Then me and dad start to look over every little bit of it. They did an *** of a wash/wax, there was white wax reside in the cracks and on various places on the body, no matter, wiped off with a shirt. The wash they did also left some water spots that were rubbed off as well. They didn’t even clean the wheels! They had break dust on them, and the dust shows bad even on the silver wheels. I have pics of the dust at the dealer and after our journey. So after that we get on our chests and look over the under carriage. At this point I notice a circle in the right rear of the bumper, we had no clue what it was but we found out later. As we continue looking it over dad takes the camera and made me pose by it, I do and he snaps away and I look retarded with some of the faces I made. So then mother is motioning for us to come back in, we do and dad has to sign some stuff. Now he gets out the keys and mom asks if they have anti theft features (you know the stuff) and he tells her about them then he tells her the key is $120. Figures since it’s laser cut and what not. She was upset about that and he goes in the back to take care of some stuff (every time he goes in the back it’s for us so don’t think bad of him) and my mom starts bitching and says that she will ask her brother (owns 8 car dealerships in Ohio) to make her some more keys and we convince her that he cant, she thinks he can though because she says GM uses those kind of keys on some of their cars. So Scott comes back and she asks if she cant get more keys and he says yeah, but we have to order them and you will have to come pick them up. That was that (she didn’t get anymore keys yet, she might though) and then we started on the plates. He says she’ll have to come back to get them because they do all of that in house and she would rather them let her do it at the DMV, I just told mom to be quiet and they explained it to her and said they would mail it to her in the end. Finally done! Me and dad follow Scott outside while mom is doing something inside and he says he has to go get gas and I asked to see the miles, 9, and then he says are you ok with me driving your car (he was playing around, he knows how obsessed I am about Andre) then goes off to fill it up. When he gets back there’s 12 on it.
Now we’re standing out front talking to Scott and mom asks about the tires because I told her that I’ve heard a lot of people (on line) say that they only went to like 20k and some 10k (driving hard obviously), he says they’ll last longer and that’s that. Now he says I’d go over the car with you but you already know everything (messing around again) and I laughed, he asked if I had any questions and I wanted to make sure of a few things and my dad as well, Scott explained the bluetooth phone stuff to him and now my dad is getting a bluetooth phone, he has no willpower when it comes to electronics and computers.
We say our goodbyes and shake hands with and thank Scott profusely. I get in the drivers seat (hey, I only get a weekend with Andre, I’m not gay!) and dad on the other side. In the end Scott proved he knew what he was doing and I figure the “buddy” comment he made in the email was friendly and not mean towards me.
One thing I have learned from all of this is that you learn new stuff everyday. Like when I got in the car and was trying to fix the seat, figured it out, I learned that it also goes up and down, and being 6’2 I needed that. Ahh, much better. Dad then gets out and snaps me while I’m sitting in the drivers seat, again making goofy faces.
We pull out of the dealer, factory recommended break in be damned! (you guys know how I feel about that), and I shift into second, step on the gas and peel out, the break in process begins. Dad just laughed. We rolled down all the windows and opened the sunroof and I started smiling. At one point on the drive home I was in the far left lane and needed to be in the right lane, I looked back, had the room, stepped on the gas and cut three lanes and got onto the exit. I told dad that’s what this car is good for. When we got to our neighborhood we passed some kids, when we pulled into the driveway the same kids came riding bikes through the back yards of their neighbors and stood in front of our house for a while and then left.
We were looking over the car with the rest of the family and then I wanted to open the bonnet. I figured out that the latch is on the passenger side? What! Ok, I guess it’s just cheaper to leave it there since the brits are right hand drive. No matter, I’m big and can reach across when needed. You learn something new everyday, even if you’re obsessed about it.
I then drive around town to show it too some friends and end up back at the house at about 1 pm. Then we leave for Daytona to see my grandparents via 95 south. If you live in the area you know the exit (old Dixie is the name I think) that puts you onto John Anderson Dr via a “the loop” and a curvy road. Too bad we got stuck behind some old people in big caddys. By the way, I’m driving, dad is front seat, and mom is behind him with a bunch of stuff in the boot and some in the back seat behind me. She had plenty of room and she’s about 5’6, average height, and my dad is 6 even and about 250ish.
After we leave Daytona we get on 95 south and go for Orland. We get there at 5 and the furniture store mom wants to go to closes is 30. We get there and she finds her specific piece (a small chest with drawers thingy about 2 cereal boxes high, one wide, and and 1 ½ long). She thinks she can fit it next to her so we all go out and dad and I proceed to say no, she says yes then looks and says no, then she finds out the seat folds down and I went damn! So she goes and buys it, unsure if it matches the other stuff where it will end up, and she repacks the car and we get done right before it rains. A red accord is next to us and dad hit it lightly with the passenger door and I thought he scratched both our cars, but it was just more wax residue.
Now we’re headed to Lakeland (between Orlando and Tampa, county seat for Polk county I think). We get there at 7pm and I leave them at the hotel and I go on driving to see my girl at FSC (college in Lakeland), I spent the night with here and left at about 1am.
Sunday
We wake at 10 and go eat breakfast with my girlfriend at Bob Evans. The car is loaded and I have to take her back alone while mom and dad sit at the pool. I do so and get back to the hotel, we pile in, same positions, and take off. While in Lakeland, all of my girlfriends friends made good comments about my car.
Now we’re headed for Tallahassee and mom, the back seat navigator/driver, decides that we are going to take the scenic route and go up 98 and then hit 19 and 27 into Tallahassee (not interstate, roads I guess you would say). It was pretty much rolling hills and straight lines, booring, but I was doing 80 most of the way and passed two cops talking to each other in the median in a 65 mph zone, they just instantly turned their heads and stared, not even a radar gun in hand. I noticed that most people don’t like being passed by Andre and are passing me again, I ended up passing most of those cars 10+ times depending on when we hit towns and how long they followed the same route.
We had to get gas in Perry (big pulp plant in there and it smells like crap). We passed numerous stations trying to find the cheapest and couldn’t find one. Mom was complaining the whole time about having to get 93 octane and was saying that she was getting regular, we finally shut her up and got the gas. I was only going to get $5 worth so we could get a full tank in Tallahassee where it would be cheaper but mom said to fill it up? Ok, fine, don’t know where she changed but whatever. This lady gets out of her Saturn and asked me who makes it and I just said BMW because I didn’t want to talk forever, I had more motoring to do.
We finally get to Tallahassee and I had to get groceries, we were going to pass a Wal-Mart Supercenter anyways so we stopped there before going to my dorm. I got a bunch of canned food like it was the 40s and the bomb was going to hit so mom ended up covered in canned food in the back next to the furniture thing she bought and dad ends up with a bag of milk in the floor and some chips in the lap. It was funny. While on the way to my Dorm we were behind a ‘00 or up Miata and we were comparing it to Andre and kept passing it, I was kind of hoping to spur something in the Miata driver but I don’t think he took notice. Oh well, he was slow and Tennessee Street has tons of traffic anyways.
We got to my dorm and unloaded all of my stuff and then I dropped them at The Loop for an hour. I then went over to FAMU to show it off to some friends, who both think a 95 GSR with 120k miles, a near blown head gasket, and an exhaust and intake could take me, I think they only thought so because it was the one friends car. Now I have to go back and give the car up to the parents for an unknown amount of time. In short we said our goodbyes, I snapped some more pics, and they drive off to Jacksonville with Andre and me crying, not really, but it hurt. There’s probably about 650 miles on it now.
The end.
(if you read all that and I see you driving around FSU you get a cookie and a mention in my MINIS @ FSU thread, lol)
_________________
ANDRE:2004 EB/EB MCSAndre's MINI adventure
Ok, the story begins…
Friday
It’s Friday night and I cant sleep, I finally fall asleep at 5 am something but am woke up at 6:30 am so I only got an hour and a half of sleep (remember this, it’s important).
Saturday
After I awake from my NAP we (mom and dad) go wash the Yukon at a drive thru, my brother had to pull some people out of the mud (he told the parents that he hit a puddle or something), and then we go eat breakfast at some little place, food wasn’t that good and I wanted to just go to the dealership right away.
It’s now 9:40 am and we arrive at the dealer (Tom Bush MINI, Jacksonville, FL), coming down the street we are looking in the building for Andre and don’t see it (kinda sad it wasn’t inside, I’ve seen them inside before) so we look out on the lot, bam, the only Electric Blue on the lot, all Electric Blue. For some reason we just go straight inside and meet Scott (my MA) (maybe because we wanted to get the car, lol, nothing against the dealer). At this point in time we loose track of time and so I’ll give estimates along the way. We are talking to Scott about casual stuff, joking around, not even business related, and then mom gets down to business with him, after about 20 minutes inside listening to them Scott goes in the back to do something so dad says, “you want to go outside and look at it?” and I said “ya.”
Me and dad go outside (it’s parked on a MINI sized patch of concrete outside of Scotts desk, they don’t have offices there, it’s all windows) and I break out the digi and start snapping away, taking pics of everything. Then me and dad start to look over every little bit of it. They did an *** of a wash/wax, there was white wax reside in the cracks and on various places on the body, no matter, wiped off with a shirt. The wash they did also left some water spots that were rubbed off as well. They didn’t even clean the wheels! They had break dust on them, and the dust shows bad even on the silver wheels. I have pics of the dust at the dealer and after our journey. So after that we get on our chests and look over the under carriage. At this point I notice a circle in the right rear of the bumper, we had no clue what it was but we found out later. As we continue looking it over dad takes the camera and made me pose by it, I do and he snaps away and I look retarded with some of the faces I made. So then mother is motioning for us to come back in, we do and dad has to sign some stuff. Now he gets out the keys and mom asks if they have anti theft features (you know the stuff) and he tells her about them then he tells her the key is $120. Figures since it’s laser cut and what not. She was upset about that and he goes in the back to take care of some stuff (every time he goes in the back it’s for us so don’t think bad of him) and my mom starts bitching and says that she will ask her brother (owns 8 car dealerships in Ohio) to make her some more keys and we convince her that he cant, she thinks he can though because she says GM uses those kind of keys on some of their cars. So Scott comes back and she asks if she cant get more keys and he says yeah, but we have to order them and you will have to come pick them up. That was that (she didn’t get anymore keys yet, she might though) and then we started on the plates. He says she’ll have to come back to get them because they do all of that in house and she would rather them let her do it at the DMV, I just told mom to be quiet and they explained it to her and said they would mail it to her in the end. Finally done! Me and dad follow Scott outside while mom is doing something inside and he says he has to go get gas and I asked to see the miles, 9, and then he says are you ok with me driving your car (he was playing around, he knows how obsessed I am about Andre) then goes off to fill it up. When he gets back there’s 12 on it.
Now we’re standing out front talking to Scott and mom asks about the tires because I told her that I’ve heard a lot of people (on line) say that they only went to like 20k and some 10k (driving hard obviously), he says they’ll last longer and that’s that. Now he says I’d go over the car with you but you already know everything (messing around again) and I laughed, he asked if I had any questions and I wanted to make sure of a few things and my dad as well, Scott explained the bluetooth phone stuff to him and now my dad is getting a bluetooth phone, he has no willpower when it comes to electronics and computers.
We say our goodbyes and shake hands with and thank Scott profusely. I get in the drivers seat (hey, I only get a weekend with Andre, I’m not gay!) and dad on the other side. In the end Scott proved he knew what he was doing and I figure the “buddy” comment he made in the email was friendly and not mean towards me.
One thing I have learned from all of this is that you learn new stuff everyday. Like when I got in the car and was trying to fix the seat, figured it out, I learned that it also goes up and down, and being 6’2 I needed that. Ahh, much better. Dad then gets out and snaps me while I’m sitting in the drivers seat, again making goofy faces.
We pull out of the dealer, factory recommended break in be damned! (you guys know how I feel about that), and I shift into second, step on the gas and peel out, the break in process begins. Dad just laughed. We rolled down all the windows and opened the sunroof and I started smiling. At one point on the drive home I was in the far left lane and needed to be in the right lane, I looked back, had the room, stepped on the gas and cut three lanes and got onto the exit. I told dad that’s what this car is good for. When we got to our neighborhood we passed some kids, when we pulled into the driveway the same kids came riding bikes through the back yards of their neighbors and stood in front of our house for a while and then left.
We were looking over the car with the rest of the family and then I wanted to open the bonnet. I figured out that the latch is on the passenger side? What! Ok, I guess it’s just cheaper to leave it there since the brits are right hand drive. No matter, I’m big and can reach across when needed. You learn something new everyday, even if you’re obsessed about it.
I then drive around town to show it too some friends and end up back at the house at about 1 pm. Then we leave for Daytona to see my grandparents via 95 south. If you live in the area you know the exit (old Dixie is the name I think) that puts you onto John Anderson Dr via a “the loop” and a curvy road. Too bad we got stuck behind some old people in big caddys. By the way, I’m driving, dad is front seat, and mom is behind him with a bunch of stuff in the boot and some in the back seat behind me. She had plenty of room and she’s about 5’6, average height, and my dad is 6 even and about 250ish.
After we leave Daytona we get on 95 south and go for Orland. We get there at 5 and the furniture store mom wants to go to closes is 30. We get there and she finds her specific piece (a small chest with drawers thingy about 2 cereal boxes high, one wide, and and 1 ½ long). She thinks she can fit it next to her so we all go out and dad and I proceed to say no, she says yes then looks and says no, then she finds out the seat folds down and I went damn! So she goes and buys it, unsure if it matches the other stuff where it will end up, and she repacks the car and we get done right before it rains. A red accord is next to us and dad hit it lightly with the passenger door and I thought he scratched both our cars, but it was just more wax residue.
Now we’re headed to Lakeland (between Orlando and Tampa, county seat for Polk county I think). We get there at 7pm and I leave them at the hotel and I go on driving to see my girl at FSC (college in Lakeland), I spent the night with here and left at about 1am.
Sunday
We wake at 10 and go eat breakfast with my girlfriend at Bob Evans. The car is loaded and I have to take her back alone while mom and dad sit at the pool. I do so and get back to the hotel, we pile in, same positions, and take off. While in Lakeland, all of my girlfriends friends made good comments about my car.
Now we’re headed for Tallahassee and mom, the back seat navigator/driver, decides that we are going to take the scenic route and go up 98 and then hit 19 and 27 into Tallahassee (not interstate, roads I guess you would say). It was pretty much rolling hills and straight lines, booring, but I was doing 80 most of the way and passed two cops talking to each other in the median in a 65 mph zone, they just instantly turned their heads and stared, not even a radar gun in hand. I noticed that most people don’t like being passed by Andre and are passing me again, I ended up passing most of those cars 10+ times depending on when we hit towns and how long they followed the same route.
We had to get gas in Perry (big pulp plant in there and it smells like crap). We passed numerous stations trying to find the cheapest and couldn’t find one. Mom was complaining the whole time about having to get 93 octane and was saying that she was getting regular, we finally shut her up and got the gas. I was only going to get $5 worth so we could get a full tank in Tallahassee where it would be cheaper but mom said to fill it up? Ok, fine, don’t know where she changed but whatever. This lady gets out of her Saturn and asked me who makes it and I just said BMW because I didn’t want to talk forever, I had more motoring to do.
We finally get to Tallahassee and I had to get groceries, we were going to pass a Wal-Mart Supercenter anyways so we stopped there before going to my dorm. I got a bunch of canned food like it was the 40s and the bomb was going to hit so mom ended up covered in canned food in the back next to the furniture thing she bought and dad ends up with a bag of milk in the floor and some chips in the lap. It was funny. While on the way to my Dorm we were behind a ‘00 or up Miata and we were comparing it to Andre and kept passing it, I was kind of hoping to spur something in the Miata driver but I don’t think he took notice. Oh well, he was slow and Tennessee Street has tons of traffic anyways.
We got to my dorm and unloaded all of my stuff and then I dropped them at The Loop for an hour. I then went over to FAMU to show it off to some friends, who both think a 95 GSR with 120k miles, a near blown head gasket, and an exhaust and intake could take me, I think they only thought so because it was the one friends car. Now I have to go back and give the car up to the parents for an unknown amount of time. In short we said our goodbyes, I snapped some more pics, and they drive off to Jacksonville with Andre and me crying, not really, but it hurt. There’s probably about 650 miles on it now.
The end.
(if you read all that and I see you driving around FSU you get a cookie and a mention in my MINIS @ FSU thread, lol)
_________________
ANDRE:2004 EB/EB MCSAndre's MINI adventure
#2
10-12-2003 | 07:43 PM
Thread Starter
|
5th Gear
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 726
Likes: 0
From: Fleming Island (orange park basically) FL
Abbreviated report.
I love this car! I slept 1 hour on Friday night and drove from Jacksonville to Orlando and then Lakeland on Saturday. This car wont let me sleep, if I were driving any other car I would have been out half way to Daytona and had to of let dad drive. I also drove from Lakeland to Tallahassee on little sleep with no chance of giving up the wheel. That obviously says something about the car.
12 miles at delivery on Saturday morning, almost 700 after it was over (will get exact number later)
I just don’t know what to say. We drove 300 some miles with dad in the passenger seat and mom behind him with some kind of furniture that mom bought in Orlando next to her. Roomy. This car has NO negatives at all, I can find none now that we have taken a long trip with such a seating/packing arrangement.
Andre was a dream, no issues what so ever, except the dirty butt and brake dust, but that’s no problem.
The car is so solid, I could just let go and it would keep on straight.
Love the digital speed readout in the tach, keeps one from speeding excessively on ACCIDENT, lol.
I also love the OBC now too. I was not really sure about it at first, but it’s really neat.
Any questions you have, ask.
I love this car! I slept 1 hour on Friday night and drove from Jacksonville to Orlando and then Lakeland on Saturday. This car wont let me sleep, if I were driving any other car I would have been out half way to Daytona and had to of let dad drive. I also drove from Lakeland to Tallahassee on little sleep with no chance of giving up the wheel. That obviously says something about the car.
12 miles at delivery on Saturday morning, almost 700 after it was over (will get exact number later)
I just don’t know what to say. We drove 300 some miles with dad in the passenger seat and mom behind him with some kind of furniture that mom bought in Orlando next to her. Roomy. This car has NO negatives at all, I can find none now that we have taken a long trip with such a seating/packing arrangement.
Andre was a dream, no issues what so ever, except the dirty butt and brake dust, but that’s no problem.
The car is so solid, I could just let go and it would keep on straight.
Love the digital speed readout in the tach, keeps one from speeding excessively on ACCIDENT, lol.
I also love the OBC now too. I was not really sure about it at first, but it’s really neat.
Any questions you have, ask.
#3
10-12-2003 | 09:44 PM
Thread Starter
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5th Gear
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 726
Likes: 0
From: Fleming Island (orange park basically) FL
#7
10-12-2003 | 10:46 PM
2nd Gear
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 72
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From: San Diego CA
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#8
10-13-2003 | 03:53 AM
Sand Dollar Collector
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 7,249
Likes: 2
From: Moved from Leesburg, VA to Oceanside, CA Nov. 2003
#9
10-13-2003 | 05:01 AM
Thread Starter
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5th Gear
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Fleming Island (orange park basically) FL
#10
10-13-2003 | 05:21 AM
Sand Dollar Collector
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 7,249
Likes: 2
From: Moved from Leesburg, VA to Oceanside, CA Nov. 2003
>>Donna/Mike, did you actually read it, if you did I'll give you a cookie and report your MINI in the FSU sightings thread I started if you ever come through here, lol! :smile: Yep - read the WHOLE thing - LOL!!! I enjoy when people write about their experiences..... 
donna@dcmetrominis.org
donna@dcmetrominis.org
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